After the horrors Red Bull faced at the Bahrain GP two weekends ago, the RB21 delivered a stronger showing at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Sunday. Max Verstappen secured a sensational pole position and took the chequered flag in second place.
That said, the inherent balance and performance issues with the RB21 remain apparent, and the Milton Keynes-based team is still some way off the pace of McLaren. Naturally, many don’t expect Red Bull or Verstappen to contend for the championship this season.
However, Red Bull’s Managing Director, Oliver Mintzlaff, has warned rivals not to count them out just yet.
“We’re obviously dissatisfied and are falling short of our expectations. But we’re not panicking. A Formula 1 season is extremely long. The reckoning this season will only come at the end,” he said, as per Motorsport-Total.
Mintzlaff and Red Bull may have been buoyed by the result at the Saudi Arabian GP, but the team has acknowledged that there is still plenty of work to be done on the RB21 to make it a consistently competitive package.
Oliver Mintzlaff, Managing director of Red Bull GmbH tells Bild: “We’re obviously dissatisfied and are falling short of our expectations.”
“But we’re not panicking about it. A Formula 1 season is extremely long. […] The reckoning this season will only come at the end.”
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— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) April 21, 2025
The main area of focus for Red Bull’s technical team is widening the RB21’s operating window. Verstappen’s teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, also pointed out this issue when he transitioned to the RB21 from Red Bull’s sister team, RB.
Mintzlaff has issued another warning to rivals like McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes, with upgrades expected over the coming race weekends.
“Nothing is lost by any means. Anyone who writes us off in the title race is making a mistake,” he added.
However, as the championship heads into its sixth round in Miami, many paddock experts believe Red Bull’s issues could resurface. BBC F1’s Andrew Benson noted that the team’s tire troubles may significantly impact their performance in the scorching conditions of the Miami International Autodrome.
“In Miami, I suspect Red Bull are really going to struggle because tire wear in the heat is McLaren’s strongest point, and it’s going to be hot in Miami—it’s in the middle of the day,” he said on the BBC F1: Chequered Flag podcast.
As things stand, Verstappen’s brilliance may still be enough to carry the team to the Drivers’ Championship—which could prove vital in retaining the Dutchman—but their current form has done little to inspire confidence that they can dethrone McLaren as Constructors’ champions this season.
